As school year dwindles, summer job market heats up

MINNEAPOLIS -- As the weather warms up, so does the pressure for students to find summer work.

"When it gets warmer, that's when I start to think about it a lot more and get a little bit more anxiety about where I'm going to work for the summer and who I'm going to be with," Rylie Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman feels lucky to know she'll be serving at Maynard's in Excelsior this summer. It's her second year with the gig.

"You're working on a lake," she said. "So I guess you can't really complain too much. The weather is always beautiful and it's great to be outside."

Outside of a great work environment, Zimmerman adds that she's made lifelong friends working at Maynard's.

So far, the restaurant has filled about half its summer hiring goal. It's still looking for about 40 outside servers and 10 inside servers. Mondays through Fridays the restaurant hosts open interviews from 2 p.m to 4 p.m.

"For seasonal work, it usually opens in the beginning of March, maybe middle of March, most of the time," full time employee Emma Mckeon said. "They start off early because people right on March 1, that first day, people are in here applying. People are planning for the summer and getting ready."

It's the same story at Valleyfair in Shakopee.

"We're looking for so many new faces at Valleyfair this season," Recruitment Manager Todd Reutter said. "Along with all the great returning faces that have been here for many seasons before."

In February, the amusement park announced it was looking for 1,600 seasonal employees. Reutter and his team have filled some of those spots by hosting job fairs—the next two are coming up on April 15 and April 29.

"I applied early and as soon as we got done training, I was like, 'yup, I'm going to love it here,'" Valleyfair associate Kyle Krcil said.

Reutter says they are right on track.

"We're over 50 percent hired for the season," he said. "We're right on trend with where we need to be to have the park fully operational on May 14."

Minneapolis CareerForce Supervisor Leona Martin says now is the time to apply for summer work.

"This is key time," she said. "A lot of people are gearing up for spring. The holidays are coming, and they are looking for employees."

Martin says there are a few things to keep in mind while on the job hunt. First, be intentional and do your research on the position. Make sure you meet the requirements. When meeting a potential future employer, be sure to dress appropriately – and make sure you're on time. Lastly, Martin says to follow up after an interview, either with a thank you or a question.

While it's good to get a jump on the job search, Martin advises not to let timing stop you from applying.

"It's never too late," she said. "But you may miss out on opportunities if you don't get out there soon."

CareerForce is hosting a Minneapolis Job Fair on April 15. For more information, click here.